It Only Takes One Thunderstorm
by Vivit Ligno
Summary: Okay, here is my debut: Kaoru fears being left completely alone when Hikaru starts dating Haruhi. Is there someone at school who can chase away this fear?
1. Kaoru's POV

Disclaimer: I do not own Ouran High School Host Club or any of its characters.

Warnings: Rated T, written as if the reader does not know the fandom (apologies), Kaoru/Nekozawa

Beginning Notes: This is my first fic, and it isn't the best thing I have written. However, I am posting it anyway because otherwise I would have wasted the time of my beta, Almost Home.

The Ouran Host Club is where the school's handsomest boys with too much time on their hands entertain young ladies who also have way too much time on their hands. Just think of it as the Ouran Academy's elegant playground for the super-rich and beautiful. At least this is how the president of the Host Club, Tamaki, explains the club to everyone. It is a pretty accurate definition. Although, it could be taken the wrong way.

My twin brother and I are both members of the Host Club. Our combo is referred to as the little devils, the mischievous type, or the brotherly love package. Personally, I'd prefer it if we were just called the Hitachiin twins.

I know that when we are together we play a lot of pranks on people, but lately that hasn't been the case. When we are together we almost act as if we are the same person. Apart, people say I'm easier to deal with because I'm nicer. Hikaru has a difficult time expressing his emotions, and not everyone understands that. That's why I have always tried to be there for him. Ever since he started dating Haruhi, I've had nothing to do. I know that I'm the one that got them together and that Haruhi will look after him, but I can't help feeling lonely.

Haruhi is a commoner who got into our elite school because of her outstanding grades. She is also a member of our host club, disguised as a male student because it is an all-male club. At first, she only joined because she needed to repay her debt for the vase she broke, but she eventually came to enjoy the club. She is also the first person to be able to tell Hikaru and me apart, even before I dyed my hair dark brown.

I don't know why I am always thinking about these things. Maybe it's because I have too much time to think when I'm not with Hikaru. I really should be thinking about the current situation. I still need to thank Nekozawa, president of the Black Magic Club, for helping us trick Haruhi into letting us see where she lives, which was my idea, might I add. Honestly, I should probably apologize for the whole flashlight incident as well. All of this happened quite a while ago. That's why I need to get this done while I have the time.

I was just about to open the black door in front of me when I noticed Nekozawa's blue eyes peering out of a small crack in that very same door. As usual, he was wearing his black wig and cloak. His actual hair color is blonde, but he completely covers himself in black because of his fear of light. He was also carrying his little cat-like puppet, Beelzenef, with him.

"Ah, Kaoru. What is it you wish to see me for? Don't you want to know as well, Beelzenef?" he asked in his usual, creepy voice.

"You're certainly a weird mix of creepy and childish," I muttered before answering his question. "I just wanted to thank you for helping us trick Haruhi and apologize for the whole flashlight incident. I know it's a little late, but…"

"Ah, yes, you are very welcome, and that incident is but of the past. Could this mean that you have come to develop an interest in the Black Magic Club?," he asked. "We could always initiate more members."

"It may be interesting, but I don't have any time for it between school and the Host Club, sorry," I answered.

"That is too bad. Isn't it, Beelzenef?" he replied, making his puppet nod its head in response. "I hope you will come to change your mind. Until then, I hope we will come across each other again as I continue to lurk around the school."

"Yeah, sure. You seem to follow the Host Club around a lot anyway," I said before walking back to Music Room Three, the place where the Host Club's activities are held. As I made my way to the room, I came up with an idea.

I pushed the door to the room open only to find that everyone was in their usual school uniforms, Haruhi still wearing the male uniform, of course. The short blonde, Honey-senpai, was asking his pink, stuffed rabbit, Usa-chan, if it wanted any more cake. Obviously, he ended up eating all of it himself while the tall brunette, Mori-senpai, went to get him more. The vice president, Kyoya, was calculating the club's budget. Hikaru and Tamaki were arguing as usual, probably something to do with Haruhi, while she simply prepared the instant coffee for today's activities. It seemed that there wasn't a theme planned for today, which perfect for me.

"Hey, boss?" I asked to get Tamaki's attention.

"Yes, what is it, Kaoru? What can the Host Club's amazing prince do for you?" he asked in his usual narcissistic tone, causing Haruhi to roll her eyes.

"I've come up with an idea for today's club theme," I answered.

"Really? What is it?" Hikaru asked, probably surprised that I hadn't told him about this yet.

"Well, I was thinking that we should have a gothic theme. You know, dress up like the Black Magic Club. None of the girls from that club are our guests. So, I figured we should do something to appeal to them," I explained.

"That would certainly help to bring in more money. As long as you can get the clothing, I don't see any reason not to," Kyoya replied as he pushed his glasses further up on his nose and scribbling details in a black notebook.

"What an absolutely wonderful idea! Then there will be more princesses for us to make happy," Tamaki exclaimed, prancing around like an idiot. "Let's begin right away!"

That was when Renge, the club's self-proclaimed lady manager, appeared with her annoying laughter to begin the operation. No one would ever believe that something could get done as quickly as she could finish it, but she always did it somehow. As usual, her light brown hair was straightened and had a large, pink bow in the back.

"Oh, where do I begin?! I've always wanted to cosplay as a Gothic Lolita," she cried out excitedly. "Okay! Hikaru, call your mother and have her send the outfits. Tamaki, you get the word out about the theme. Kaoru, keep an eye on him so he doesn't screw up."

"Right away," I said, laughing as Tamaki complained.

"Mori and Honey can set up all of the decorations," she continued. "And, Kyoya, just do what you usually do. You're perfect the way you are!"

I followed Tamaki around as he hung up flyers around the school, occasionally stopping to talk to some of our guests and personally invite them to the event. On occasion, I had to remind him that we needed to finish the job Renge gave us. Every so often, I would see Nekozawa peering around a corner, only to disappear when I looked in his direction. I couldn't help but wonder what he was up to.

After finishing with the flyers, we went back to the club room. The room was fully decorated. They had turned off all of the lights, replacing them with many candles. There were black roses and skulls lining the walls and magic circles on the floor. Renge had gone beyond a simple gothic theme. This was completely the Black Magic Club's style.

Not long after we had put on our costumes, the guests began to arrive. Most of the guests were our usual customers, seeming a little intimidated by the theme, but there were also a few members of the Black Magic Club there as well. I noticed Nekozawa peering from the crack of his black door and decided to talk to him. After all, he was the reason I chose this theme.

"Hey, Umehito. What's up?" I asked.

"I, um, was just seeing what the girls in my club were so excited about," he whispered, clearly caught off guard by the fact that I had called him by his first name.

"I see. Well, how about you come over to my place tonight?" I asked. "Hikaru is having Haruhi over, so I'm going to be bored otherwise."

"Can I bring Kirimi?" he asked. "I don't get to see her very often."

"Sure, it's fine. I know how it is with your sister," I answered.

"Then we will be there after club activities," he said, closing the door between us.

I turned around to see that Hikaru was already talking to a couple of girls and decided to head over there. After all, it was my job to entertain the guests alongside Hikaru. I couldn't brush it aside just because I wasn't in the mood for it. We always had our acts planned out for our events. I was supposed to pretend to be afraid of ghosts and demons, or whatever else could be conjured up with magic. After that, Hikaru was to console me and talk about how he would protect me from all of those things. Basically, it was the typical forbidden love act.

Of course, that was all it was, an act. Hikaru was straight and in love with Haruhi. And I clearly had no interest in my own brother. We may be close, but we aren't that close. He doesn't even know that I actually do like guys. He thinks that I am straight, just like he is. The reality of it is that I am bi, but he doesn't need to know that. At least he doesn't yet.

Club activities seemed to drag on forever. I tried not to fidget too much, but I was restless. Hikaru would give me weird looks every once in a while because of it. He clearly knew something was up. I wanted club activities to be over. I wanted to leave. I wanted to hang out with Umehito. I just hope that the guests didn't notice the difference or feel neglected. I'm sure Hikaru was feeling the same way I was. After all, he was having Haruhi over. The only difference was that he was used to waiting for activities to be over. Besides, Haruhi was in the club with us.

I glanced over at the clock, just a few more minutes. Then I could get out of here and go home. Not only that, but then I could also spend time with Umehito outside of school for the first time. I felt Hikaru jab me in the side with his elbow and looked at him. He probably though I wasn't paying enough attention.

"Is there something wrong, Kaoru? You seem awfully distracted," asked one of the girls. I think her name was Mariko.

"Don't you get the feeling that you're being watched?" I asked in my best nervous voice.

"Calm down, Kaoru. It's probably just Nekozawa. You know he's always lingering around here," Hikaru said, playing along.

"Well, I guess that's not as bad," I whispered.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you from anything that tries to hurt you, Kaoru," Hikaru stated, grabbing me by the chin.

"Hikaru, you're embarrassing me," I complained as the girls began to squeal. The girls always love this part of the act.

"Alright, I am truly sorry. Unfortunately, dear princesses, we are out of time, but we do hope to see all of you at our next event," Tamaki called out.

I let out a sigh as all of our guests began to pile out of the doors. The cleanup was to be left to Renge and Tamaki this time around. I was glad it wasn't my turn, but I couldn't help feeling bad since I came up with today's theme. Hikaru ran over to tell Haruhi goodbye. She made it a point to tell him he was an idiot for doing so since she would be coming over later. I watched as Mori-senpai got some more cake for Honey-senpai before they left. Kyoya decided to stay behind to calculate the profit of today's event, occasionally telling Tamaki not to break anything because the decorations were rented. At this point, Hikaru had walked back over to me and we decided to head out to our limo.

"Okay, what are you so excited about?" Hikaru asked.

"I invited Umehito over. Though, he's bringing Kirimi along as well," I answered without looking at him.

"Nekozawa?" he questioned. "Whatever, I guess we're having a party then."

When we got home, Hikaru went straight to the T.V. We used to play pranks on the staff, but that was before Hikaru decided it was pointless. The staff got used to all of our pranks. It got to the point where they wouldn't acknowledge them at all. In other words, it got boring. Hikaru doesn't like things that are boring. I guess I don't either, but I'm not as extreme about abandoning them.

Umehito and Kirimi arrived first. Haruhi either got lost or her dad was holding her up, probably the latter. Kirimi ran over to watch T.V. with Hikaru, hitting him until he changed it to some anime she liked. Umehito walked in and looked around. Anyone would have been able to tell that he was nervous. He didn't seem to know what to do now that he was actually in the house.

"So, um, sorry about Kirimi. She doesn't quite understand the meaning of manners yet," he said.

"It's fine. She's only, what, five?" I asked.

"That is correct," he answered. "Is there a plan for what we are to be doing this evening?"

"Not really. We can decide when Haruhi gets here. Until then, I guess we can watch whatever Kirimi put on," I replied.

When we heard the butler open the door, we knew that Haruhi had arrived. She walked into the room with a container of instant coffee in her arms. After placing the container on the coffee table, she leaned over to kiss Hikaru before she spoke.

"I brought the instant coffee like you asked me to," she said.

"Yay! The bookworm is here!" Kirimi cheered, her blonde pigtails bobbing up and down as she jumped.

"Why are you dressed like a girl?" Umehito asked in confusion.

"That's because I am a girl," Haruhi answered.

"What? When did this happen?" he asked, still in shock.

"I was born a girl, so the entire time," she replied.

"Big brother, what's instant coffee?" Kirimi asked, distracting him from Haruhi.

"Actually, I don't know," he replied.

"It's a commoner's drink. The coffee beans are already ground for you. All you have to do is mix it with hot water! It's great," Hikaru explained enthusiastically.

"Oh, I see. I will try this commoner's coffee then," Umehito said as he looked over at me for approval.

"Haruhi, make the coffee for us," Hikaru said in a sing-song voice.

"Damn these rich people," Haruhi muttered as she poured the coffee.

"Big brother, why haven't you kissed your boyfriend yet?" Kirimi asked, her blue eyes sparkling.

"Wai…, what are you saying, Kirimi!?" Umehito cried out, his face turning bright red as Hikaru laughed at him.

"What the hell," I muttered, pulling Umehito into a kiss. Why not give Kirimi what she wants? We may not actually be in a relationship, but, to be honest, I wanted to kiss him as much as she wanted to see it happen. The best part was that he didn't pull away from me. He allowed it to happen, and so I claimed those soft lips of his.

After I ended the kiss, I could finally see everyone's reactions. I didn't think it was possible for Umehito to become any redder than he already was, but he did. Hikaru just stood there in shock, not knowing how to react. He opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, making him look like a fish. Haruhi, on the other hand, wasn't even fazed by it. She simply continued to make the coffee for us. Kirimi started dancing around and chanting.

"There is debauchery here!" Why the Nekozawas' maid thought it was alright for a five year old to read Shoujo manga, I don't know. I'm beginning to think she read more than that to Kirimi though.

"Was it supposed to rain today?" Haruhi asked as she looked out the window.

"I guess so. Hopefully it will only be rain," Hikaru replied.

It only took a couple of seconds to realize it was actually a thunderstorm. Although we had yet to see any lightning, the thunder could be heard quite clearly. With each blast of thunder, Haruhi would whimper out of fear. She was curled up in a tight ball on the couch. Hikaru was rubbing her back and whispering words of comfort in an attempt to calm her down, but it wasn't until he gave her his mp3 player that she was finally soothed to the point that she would sleep through the storm with her head resting peacefully on Hikaru's shoulder.

With Haruhi being asleep and unable to hear the thunder, Hikaru doesn't have anything more to worry about, meaning that I didn't have to worry about Hikaru at the moment. Letting out a sigh of relief, I leaned against Umehito. His body tensed up as I did so, but it only took him a few seconds to relax again. I could feel a smile forming on my face at the realization that he was completely comfortable being with me.

Unfortunately, the moment didn't last very long. As soon as there was a flash of lightning, Umehito screamed and locked himself in a nearby closet out of terror. I let out another sigh, only this one was of disappointment. So close, so close to having nothing to be worried about. I stood up and walked over to the closet, leaving Hikaru to keep an eye on Kirimi.

"Hey, you don't have to hide, you know? We can just close all of the curtains or something," I said.

"But then Kirimi…" he began, but stopped when the power went out and Kirimi started crying at the top of her lungs.

Of course, the power had to go out while our back-up generator was being repaired. Just as I thought this, Umehito burst out of the closet and ran over to his little sister. Without another thought, I went to the kitchen in search of something to light up the room for her. I didn't have to worry about Umehito anymore. He would be too worried about Kirimi to pay any attention to his own fear. I rummaged around in the kitchen cabinets until I found a few candles and flashlights to bring back to the living room. After lighting the candles and turning on the flashlights, Kirimi finally calmed down and fell asleep next to her brother.

"Looks like there isn't anything else to worry about," I commented as I sat down next to Umehito.

"Seems that way. Everyone else is asleep, and you aren't afraid of anything," he said with a smile on his face.

"Well, not anymore," I replied as he looked over at me curiously. "I won't ever be left completely alone."

End Notes: Although I love this pairing, I don't have any plans to continue this fic right now. However, if you guys like it, I may add more later on.


	2. Nekozawa's POV

Disclaimer: I do not own _Ouran High School Host Club_ or any of its characters.

Warnings: Rated T, Kaoru/Nekozawa

Beginning Notes: Loner Kid wanted to see more of Nekozawa's reactions. SO! I rewrote the entire story in his POV! I also promised Rosey 1320 that I would get around to writing this, so here it is!

Failure. Again. I sighed, leaning back in my chair as I stared at the flickering candles. No matter how many times I tried to make this spell work, it just wouldn't. Maybe I am missing something, doing something wrong perhaps?

"_Or maybe, it's because no one is, or even could be, interested in you_," mocked that little voice in my head that I hated so much.

"No," I whispered. It is just because it isn't black magic. Using a spell just to see if anyone is interested in me doesn't classify as black magic, and I've never done well with any other type of magic. Besides, the spell would have told me that there was no one. It wouldn't have remained blank.

"_Sure, but we both know that your black magic scares everyone away_," the voice supplied.

"But…" But, what? I'm actually nice? Others don't seem to realize that. But, I am just as attractive as any of the host club members. There is no denying that. I am just misunderstood.

"_True, except for the fact that no one can see that underneath your black wig and cloak. Too bad you are terrified of light_," the voice replied.

"Except for…"

"_The host club? Even they are afraid, or at least disturbed, by your black magic_," countered the voice.

"The twins," I said firmly. Neither of them were afraid of my black magic after getting used to it.

"_Hikaru has a girlfriend. He admitted it himself, although he won't say who_."

"Kaoru doesn't," I muttered. I like him better anyway. He is nicer when alone as compared to his brother.

"_If Hikaru is straight, then so is Kaoru. That's how identical twins work, right?_" The voice replied.

"But…" Maybe that isn't right. I don't know enough about that to be certain. I work with black magic, not science. At that moment, bright light shone into the room, causing me to flinch and lose my train of thought. I turned around to see Kaoru walking into my clubroom, much to my surprise. "Ah, Kaoru. What is it you wish to see me for? Don't you want to know as well, Beelzenef?"

"You're certainly a weird mix of creepy and childish," he muttered, causing an odd pain to swell in my chest, feelings. When he continued speaking, that particular feeling went away. "I just wanted to thank you for helping us trick Haruhi and apologize for the whole flashlight incident. I know it's a little late, but…"

"Ah, yes, you are very welcome, and that incident is but of the past. Could this mean that you have come to develop an interest in the Black Magic Club? We could always initiate more members," I asked eagerly.

"It may be interesting, but I don't have any time for it between school and the Host Club, sorry," he answered, much to my disappointment.

"That is too bad. Isn't it, Beelzenef?" I replied, looking at Beelzenef sadly. "I hope you will come to change your mind. Until then, I hope we will come across each other again as I continue to lurk around the school."

"Yeah, sure. You seem to follow the Host Club around a lot anyway," he said, causing me to flinch. Whether or not he noticed, I couldn't tell. As Kaoru left, I closed the door behind him and slid into a sitting position.

"_That went…well,_" said the voice. "_He isn't scared of you._"

"Told you," I muttered.

"_Now what? You let your chance slip away._"

Ah, that's right. I don't exactly have an excuse to talk to him or anything. We aren't even in the same class. Maybe his club activities haven't started yet? I could always check… I opened the door slightly and peered out of the crack. Kaoru is talking to Tamaki… I guess my chance is gone.

"Well, I was thinking that we should have a gothic theme. You know, dress up like the Black Magic Club. None of the girls from that club are our guests. So, I figured we should do something to appeal to them," Kaoru said.

"That would certainly help to bring in more money. As long as you can get the clothing, I don't see any reason not to," Kyoya replied as he scribbled down whatever he thought to be important in his notebook.

"What an absolutely wonderful idea! Then there will be more princesses for us to make happy," Tamaki exclaimed, dancing around the room. "Let's begin right away!"

A theme for the Black Magic Club? I wonder what that will end up looking like. Maybe Kaoru likes black magic more than he lets on?

"_Or, he is just trying to steal away your few club members,_" said the voice. "_Either way, are you going to follow him?_"

"I don't see how it could hurt anything," I whispered. I followed him out into the hallway where he and Tamaki began to attach advertisements on the walls. Tamaki gets distracted so easily. Kaoru is doing practically all of the work, and he is still looking in my direction on occasion. I would find myself hiding when he did.

"_Stalker,_" the voice mused.

No, not stalking. I have no ill intentions. I am just… curious. I am not stalking him. When I snapped out of my mental argument, I found that I was making eye-contact with Kaoru. Panicking, I ran back to my clubroom, my face probably bright red.

"Okay, maybe that would be considered stalking," I said, covering my face with my hands.

"_Obviously,_" the voice replied. "_You hear that? I think they've returned to their clubroom._"

"They must be finished," I stated, still embarrassed.

"_Are you going to check?_" The voice all but laughed.

"I guess I could," I said, peering out of the door yet again. As soon as I did, I froze in shock. It was like my own clubroom had been expanded. Skulls, candles, black roses, the magic circles on the floor were so accurate that I could probably summon the spirits and demons associated with them.

"Hey, Umehito. What's up?" Kaoru asked, seeming to appear from nowhere.

"I, um, was just seeing what the girls in my club were so excited about," I whispered. Did he just use my first name? No, don't blush. That would not be good.

"I see. Well, how about you come over to my place tonight?" he asked. "Hikaru is having Haruhi over, so I'm going to be bored otherwise."

"Can I bring Kirimi? I don't get to see her very often." Hopefully it's okay. I can't believe he invited me over. When did he begin to consider us friends? Does he consider us friends?

"Sure, it's fine. I know how it is with your sister," he answered, much to my relief.

"Then we will be there after club activities," I said, closing the door between us. I'm going to Kaoru's home? I guess he has decided to be friends. Or, he has at least decided to get to know me. I wonder, if I tried that spell again… No, I can't get it right anyway. I have to go about things the normal way. Me, normal? I guess I should say that I am without magic for now. Oh, I'm rambling. I wonder how soon his club ends. I'll just peek out the door… again.

"Is there something wrong, Kaoru? You seem awfully distracted," asked one of the girls, an attractive girl with long, black hair.

"Don't you get the feeling that you're being watched?" Kaoru asked nervously, but it seemed to be fake.

"Calm down, Kaoru. It's probably just Nekozawa. You know he's always lingering around here," Hikaru replied.

"Well, I guess that's not as bad," Kaoru whispered. It took a lot of effort to hear from the distance I was at.

"Don't worry. I'll protect you from anything that tries to hurt you, Kaoru," Hikaru stated, grabbing him by the chin.

"Hikaru, you're embarrassing me," he complained as the girls began to squeal. I felt a twinge of jealousy. Wait, I'm actually jealous? I don't even know him that well.

"Alright, I am truly sorry. Unfortunately, dear princesses, we are out of time, but we do hope to see all of you at our next event," Tamaki called out. Oh, it's over. I should probably get home and talk to Kirimi…

I walked out of the school with the intention of taking the limo home, when I saw Kirimi waiting by the gate. Why in the world is she here? Does no one keep an eye on her at home? Apparently I am going to have to talk to the staff about this. She can't be allowed to keep wandering off to my school all on her own like this.

"Big brother!" she yelled in excitement when she spotted me.

"Kirimi, you can't keep coming to my school all by yourself. It is dangerous," I scolded her.

"I'm not by myself," she said, puffing out her cheeks. "The driver brought me here when I asked!"

"Did you tell anyone else about it?" I asked.

"Well, no… I didn't." she said quietly.

"Alright, I will just have the driver call and let everyone know that you are with me," I said, sighing.

"Yay! Let's go to the movies," she said excitedly. "Wait, no. An amusement park!"

"I'm sorry, Kirimi. I was invited to the twins' house today, but I can bring you along," I replied, already seeing the disappointment on her face.

"But, that won't be as fun." Oh, no, she's pouting.

"Haruhi is going to be there too, you know," I said, hoping that this would make a difference.

"The bookworm?"

"Yes, the bookworm," I repeated the pet name.

"Yay! Let's go! Let's go!" she said, jumping up and down before making a dash towards the limo.

"Ah, wait up!" I yelled, chasing after her.

By the time we reached the limo, I was both exhausted and incredibly nervous. Kirimi, on the other hand, was restless. She could not seem to keep still, and she kept talking about how she was excited that Haruhi, the bookworm, was going to be there.

"Oh, guess what I learned today!" she suddenly shouted.

"What?" I asked.

"I said guess!" she said, pouting.

"I don't know… that worms don't actually live in books?" I tried, unable to follow her train of thought.

"No… I was talking to my teacher about the twins in my manga, and she told me that identical twins aren't completely the same," she explained.

"Well, they do experience some differences in their lives," I replied.

"No, no! She was talking about DNA stuff, saying that they are born with a few differences," she said. "I don't exactly understand, but it's still cool!"

"Hm, that is interesting," I said thoughtfully.

"_Gives you a chance, huh?_" said the voice.

"Big brother?" Kirimi said.

"Yes?"

"Are you okay?" she asked. "You haven't been looking too well."

"Ah, I'm just nervous," I spoke truthfully. "I'm not used to people inviting me to their homes."

"Oh," she whispered. "We just got here, though."

"What?" I asked, paling slightly.

"Well, let's go!" she said before making me follow her as she ran to the door.

As soon as the door was opened for us, Kirimi ran over to the T.V. She began to hit Hikaru when he wouldn't change the channel for her, only becoming content when it was finally changed to an anime she liked. I couldn't help feeling embarrassed. That is not the behavior of a house guest.

"So, um, sorry about Kirimi. She doesn't quite understand the meaning of manners yet," I apologized.

"It's fine. She's only, what, five?" he asked.

"That is correct," I answered, surprised that he remembered her age. "Is there a plan for what we are to be doing this evening?"

"Not really. We can decide when Haruhi gets here. Until then, I guess we can watch whatever Kirimi put on," he replied.

Eventually, Haruhi did arrive, carrying a container. After placing it on the table, he leaned in to kiss Hikaru. So, he lied when saying he had a girlfriend? Wait, Haruhi is dressed in girls' clothing? What is going on?

"I brought the instant coffee like you asked me to," he said.

"Yay! The bookworm is here!" Kirimi cheered, jumping up and down.

"Why are you dressed like a girl?" I asked, still confused.

"That's because I am a girl," Haruhi answered.

"What? When did this happen?" I asked, still in shock.

"I was born a girl, so the entire time," she replied.

"Big brother, what's instant coffee?" Kirimi asked, distracting me from my confusion about Haruhi.

"Actually, I don't know," I replied.

"It's a commoner's drink. The coffee beans are already ground for you. All you have to do is mix it with hot water! It's great," Hikaru explained enthusiastically.

"Oh, I see. I will try this commoner's coffee then," I said, looking over at Kaoru with uncertainty. He doesn't seem to have anything against it, so I guess it's fine.

"Haruhi, make the coffee for us," Hikaru sang.

"Damn these rich people," Haruhi muttered as she poured the coffee for us. I guess our actions are odd to her.

"Big brother, why haven't you kissed your boyfriend yet?" Kirimi asked, looking over at me expectantly.

"Wai…, what are you saying, Kirimi!?" I cried out, my face burning as I heard Hikaru laughing at me.

The next thing I knew, Kaoru was pulling me towards him. What… our lips are touching. Okay. Well, I do like him, and it feels nice. I guess it is alright. Wait, he's pulling away. I guess that means it is over… And, I forgot that everyone was watching. Haruhi doesn't seem to care, but I feel my face heat up even more when I see Hikaru's shock and hear my sister's chanting. There is no way Kuretake is only reading Shoujo manga to her.

"Was it supposed to rain today?" Haruhi asked as she looked out the window where it had begun to pour, a nice distraction from my current situation.

"I guess so. Hopefully it will only be rain," Hikaru replied, but it wasn't just rain. As soon as we could hear thunder, Haruhi curled up into a ball and began to whimper. Apparently, she is afraid of thunder. Hikaru was rubbing her back in a failing attempt to comforting her. Eventually, he just gave her his mp3 player, and she fell asleep on his shoulder.

I heard Kaoru sigh, and I couldn't help tensing up when he leaned against me. I'm just not used to it. But, this is Kaoru. It is okay to relax. After all, he just kissed me not too long ago… I smiled. Kaoru actually wants me around. That is enough to make me happy, but he actually kissed me. That says something, right?

That's when there was a flash of bright light, lightning. I screamed and found myself locked in what appeared to be a closet. After a few moments, I could feel my terror changing to embarrassment. Why does this always have to happen?

"_Kaoru may rethink what it means to actually be with you_," said the voice, actually sounding sad.

"No," I whimpered quietly. I don't want that. But, what can I do?

"Hey, you don't have to hide, you know? We can just close all of the curtains or something," Kaoru said. He came to check on me? His solution won't work though…

"But then Kirimi…" I began, but stopped when the power went out. Kirimi was screaming at the top of her lungs. I didn't have time to think. I had to help my little sister. I ran out of the closet, and directly to her. I wrapped an arm around her and whispered soft words in an attempt to calm her down. She had stopped screaming, but tears were still streaming down her face. Kaoru walked over to us, candles and flashlights in his arms. When they were all lit, Kirimi finally calmed down. It only took a few minutes for her to actually fall asleep on the floor next to me.

"Looks like there isn't anything else to worry about," he commented, sitting down next to me with his arm pressed against mine.

"Seems that way. Everyone else is asleep, and you aren't afraid of anything," I said, happy that he did not seem to have changed his mind.

"Well, not anymore," he replied, and I was surprised. Looking over at him, I wondered what he could possibly be afraid of. "I won't ever be left completely alone."

A warm feeling ran through me then. Somehow, I had assuaged his fear without even realizing he had it, just by being here. I hadn't realized how wonderful it would feel to help someone this much, to be wanted this much. Looking at him, I wanted to kiss him. But, that could wait. Right now, I am tired. I decided it would be alright to fall asleep on his shoulder, the smile never leaving my face.

End Notes: This turned out A LOT better than Kaoru's POV. O.O How did that happen? Well, I'm not complaining! :)


End file.
